Past Is Prologue
by Biscuit50
Summary: When asked by her daughter how her parents got together, Louisa reminisces about how she and Martin met. Now a few more are getting into the "harking back" act.
1. Chapter 1

Buffalo Pictures owns Doc Martin. In dealing with family issues recently, have begun thinking about conversations between the generations about who people are in the present, and who they've been in the past. How did we get to where we are today? Generally adheres to the canon of the series, but no idea where the next season is going; no intent to mirror anything other than what's in my head. Serious Doc Martinitis is the diagnosis … hope I get over it soon! Cheers.

Past as Prologue

"So Mum, how did you and Dad meet? What was he like back then?" asked Alexandra, who was collecting information about her parents as she prepared to take the marital plunge herself. She and her mother were having one of those mother daughter bonding moments, while they had some tea while in the midst of planning her wedding.

Louisa smiled, immediately transported back to those days, those awkward, intensely frustrating days when she first met Martin.

She first saw him on that plane on the way to his interview, although at that point she did not know who he was. He stared at her as they sat across from one another on the small jet. She basically told him he was rude, changed seats and thought that was the end of it.

It was just the beginning.

Literally minutes later, as they both arrived at the PCT headquarters, and introductions were being made, discovered that he was the candidate for replacing old Doc Sims, the GP in Portwenn, who had died about a month earlier.

Martin was self assured in the interview, and the only one who challenged his hiring was Louisa. She wasn't convinced that his very impressive background as a vascular surgeon qualified him to be a local GP, ministering to the wide variety of medical needs in a local village. His medical skills and knowledge were impressive … it was his lack of people skills that worried her, although the only person who appeared to care about his people skills deficit was Louisa. The others on the committee seemed to accept that he was the most qualified candidate, and let it go from there. To be sure, Louisa was the only villager who would actually become one of his patients.

What had he been like?

Following the interview and her verbal warning that he needed to step it up, he continued to stare at her, which she found annoying. Turns out he was diagnosing her eyes, unbeknownst to her. When she learned that he had in fact spotted a serious condition, advanced glaucoma, and sent her to a specialist, she realized there was more there than met the eye, so to speak. That was the first time she was surprised by Martin the true medical professional.

Months later, when he performed emergency surgery on Peter Cronk in the ambulance, following Peter's spleen rupturing earlier in the day, and despite Martin's discomfort at seeing Peter's blood, she was drawn to him in a way that she had never felt before. Martin was so comfortable at being an exceptional doctor (whether surgeon or GP), and she felt seeing him in charge in those types of situations gave her new insight into what he must be like as a person. Clearly, there was a lot more than showed on the surface.

His surface wasn't too bad either. He wasn't classically handsome, but he always had presence, being tall, impeccably groomed, well dressed (some might say overdressed, in a tailored suit fully 100% of the time), meticulous in all his habits. None of the locals compared to him in knowledge or professional standing, and Louisa's personal interest was definitely sparked. She had kissed him in the taxi on the way back to Portwenn following Peter's procedure, a maneuver Martin managed to completely ruin with his "diagnosis" of her bad breath when they kissed. Her response? Throw him out of the taxi, and not talk to him for weeks. She was really hurt by his insensitivity, and it put their romance on the back burner for another year or two, while they continued to fumble around each other.

Their next foray into getting to know each other was nearly as disastrous. As she once told him, "under that gruff, mono-syllabic, well meaning, and well, rude exterior," lived a man who was "gruff, mono-syllabic and rude." But she had said it with a smile, and then kissed him, so the analysis lost its sting a little. Of course, he had fallen asleep moments later, due to his uncustomary consumption of wine, in an effort to meet Louisa on her terms. The next day, he managed to insinuate that she was stalking him, no doubt in a condition that he described as erotomania … and that she was stalking him because he was older, a doctor, had more social standing, etc. In short, he was rude, jumped to ridiculous assumptions and rather annoying.

What she didn't know at the time was that her very presence made him extremely nervous. Her original diagnosis of him was right: he was good, even exceptional, with patients, with disease and medical conditions, but he was a mess dealing with people as people. His having been a loner much of his life hadn't helped him acquire better people skills, and he hadn't needed them when a surgeon, so they had continued to be somewhat substandard.

Being more insecure than she appeared, especially when dealing with an emotional challenge as monumental as Martin's thick personal walls, she didn't see how much of those walls were his self-defenses and his inexperience. He was so worldly in ways she never would be; she assumed that sophistication extended to his personal life.

She was wrong.

When she finally gave up on him, and her own heart broken at the thought of this failure, she was shocked when he proposed marriage out of the blue, following Holly's very serious accident. Once again, Martin had risen to the occasion, saving Holly's life under rather dire and bloody circumstances. Once again, he had put aside his own issues with blood and personal discomfort, to take brilliant care of Holly. Louisa had been moved again by his skill and said so. At which point, he proposed, she accepted, and they began a new life together.

Or so she thought.

They managed to leave each other at the altar, in similar misguided attempts to do the right thing for each other. As they allowed their own insecurities to rise, and their care for each other to step aside, thinking neither could make the other happy in the long term, they committed the glaring error of walking away from each other. Only to belatedly discover that Louisa was pregnant with Philip, Alexandra's older brother.

Since she didn't tell Martin right away, she went through the first six months of that pregnancy by herself, worrying about how he would take it, worrying about her situation, finally returning to Portwenn from London, and interacting with Martin again. She had never stopped loving him, and despite their very rocky interactions during that pregnancy, when Philip was born, Martin had been there, and they finally got back on track.

It wasn't easy at first. Martin had relinquished his job and had been returning to London to become head of vascular surgery at Imperial College. Louisa was sure about letting Martin back into her and Philip's lives, but not sure where they stood with each other.

Oddly enough, the job of having to take care of a newborn brought them together in a way that took the pressure off them having to deal with each other more directly. It allowed them to live together, take care of the baby's constant need, without focusing on the elephant in the room: where did they go from here?

Louisa did not want to Martin to marry her as a convenience, nor did she want Philip to ever doubt that his entry into the world was as a result of anything but love between his parents. Having Martin around all the time was a bit challenging, due to his knowing practically everything, but there was no doubt that he was a skilled doctor, a good chef, and generally fairly handy at home. His odd personal habits, wanting to eat early and retire early at night, his strange hobby of restoring antique clocks, were a bit different, but they were less of a challenge than his natural reticence and his not being used to discussing everything, as Louisa wished to do.

As they got more used to each other, and as Philip thrived under their joint care, and as they slowly acclimated to each other's styles and habits, they each realized that they were becoming dependent on each other.

Never one to be personally demonstrative, Martin slowly realized and began to trust that Louisa welcomed his attentions, large and small. She in turn gave him hugs, praised his handling of Philip, and accepted him in a way no one had in the past. True, his attention to detail, or insisting that she comply with all of his directives, could be infuriating, but as they spent more time together, he was less insistent, and she was more understanding.

At first, most of their conversations were about Philip – his care, his feeding, his sleeping, etc. There were also practical conversations, about her potential return to work, about his work, about their living situation. They were practical people, and those topics got easier to manage.

They both wanted more from each other, however, although they were each afraid of addressing the all important topic of their relationship with each other. They did assume they had a lot of time to work things out. Having mucked it up once, however, they were becoming increasingly worked up about it.

Following Louisa's post-natal six week checkup, she broached the subject.

"Martin, the doctor mentioned that I'm allowed to resume normal activities and that I'm completely healthy and all that," she duly informed him following her ante-natal visit to her doctor in Truro.

"That's excellent news. Which activities do you wish to resume?" asked Martin, not wishing to presume what she was implying, even if he was really interested in this news.

"Martin, you're a doctor, you know what I'm talking about." Louisa smiled and reached out to take his hand. "He was saying I could resume sexual relations with my … partner, if I wish to do that."

"And do you wish to do that?" Martin hardly dared to hope that she wished to resume their sex life, for he knew that many women do not want it right away, following the birth of their first child. "I don't want to pressure you or anything, or presume anything. I leave it up to you, Louisa," he said.

"Martin, that's always been the problem, hasn't it? It's always up to me … but I will say this, I don't want to live with you and not resume our intimacy. We barely got a taste of it back when we were engaged, and I don't know about you, but I have missed that aspect of our lives big time. I don't know whether you will ever find me attractive again, but I haven't stopped loving you, and I want us to feel free to be intimate whenever the fancy strikes us." This welcome news, delivered by Louisa with a shy smile and a determined tone in her voice warmed Martin's heart.

Martin smiled at this. "No pressure, though, seriously," he said. "I can wait for you as long as you wish."

"But do you want to resume having sex? You know, with me, even as changed as I am?" she asked.

"Of course I do. Louisa, ever since I met you, you are the only person I want to be with, ever again. Whether it's pheromones or hormones or intellectual or even possibly spiritual influences, you are the only person I want to make love to, or be close to in that way." It was the first time he'd ever said anything remotely that intimate to her; she was moved by his speech and moved in for some snuggling.

"But do you love me?" she asked.

"I do … I never stopped loving you either. I am just not comfortable expressing it. When you returned to the village, you were so antagonistic towards me, and I didn't want to be hurt by reaching out to you, only to be rejected," Martin admitted.

"I wouldn't have rejected you. I was about to have your baby. If anything, I wanted to be close to you, but you had that bloody Edith sitting in your kitchen, smug, slender, intimate in a way that you and I almost never were … it was mind-boggling to me that you had moved on … from us … so quickly" Louisa said.

"But I didn't move on. Edith was only there on professional business. At least, at first that was the case. I think she did have some designs on me later on, but I rejected them because I realized that even though you and I were not together, I never wanted to be with anyone except you. Even someone willing and interested, and with whom I had had a history, like Edith. Well, she couldn't hold a candle to you," Martin said.

It warmed Louisa's heart to hear that Edith, that scheming witch, had meant so little to Martin. Edith wasn't really a very nice person, so it was good to know his taste in women was better than that.

She snuggled up to Martin. "Ok back to the topic at hand. I don't just wish to hop into bed with you … well, I sort of do, but I also know that we rushed into things the last time. Let's take our time and move along at a pace that's comfortable for both of us. I want us to be in this for the long haul, for all of our sakes."

He put his arms around her and agreed this seemed a sensible course of action. Until he kissed her, and began softly rubbing the back of her neck, and the urgency of their kisses left both of them breathless. The fact that despite everything, their passion could flare in an instant was reassuring to both of them. The magic that had drawn them together originally was still there, thank God. The intensity and fervor with which they hungrily explored each other's bodies, left little room for doubt, that they each wanted the other as much as before. Childbirth, new responsibilities, new living situations … nothing could dilute the fact that they remained insanely attracted to each other.

Once they crossed that physical and emotional line, their lives improved pretty dramatically. To be sure, Martin was still Martin with the rest of the world. Gruff, mono-syllabic, yes, even rude (or at least brusque) with the vast majority of the population. But the humanizing influence of both Louisa and Philip was also apparent.

In their own home, Martin was able to relax and trust that Louisa loved him and that Philip did as well. Indeed, he and Philip bonded in a way that most people did not expect. As he got older, he clung to Martin and imitated him in so many things. Even Martin could not help but be moved by Philip's absolute adoration of his father. Martin was the best dad in the world, as far as he could tell. He looked just like him, with blond hair, blue eyes and prominent ears, though perhaps not as prominent as his father's. He was tall for his age, and stood erect, once he began walking, mirrored Martin's erect posture.

Louisa's heart would overflow with emotion at seeing the two of them. Martin had turned out to be an excellent father.

Returning to her story, she said, "I assumed he would be a good father, and he was always an excellent doctor. What I didn't expect was how patient he would be with Philip, carefully listening to everything he said, explaining how everything in world worked, clearly and carefully. It was astonishing, to me and to the village, I think. It made me fall in love with him on another whole level. I was always insanely attracted to him, but his having turned out to be an excellent father just made me want him more. "

She continued, "One of the things that made me fall in love even further was his willingness to do things just because Philip or I required it or he thought they would improve our lives. That's a sign of true love, isn't it? The willingness to do things outside your comfort zone because you know it will benefit your loved ones. Martin had quietly demonstrated that in caring for his Auntie Joan, but I had never been the recipient of his largesse before. Suddenly, he was focused on us as a family, and I realized how important that would be to our lives."

"In fact, watching how great he was with Philip made me realize how much I wanted another child, despite our so-called advanced ages … and that's when we decided to try for another, and that's how we got you. If Martin was terrified at being a father to a son, you can imagine his absolute terror at realizing he had a daughter, a beautiful baby girl. When you were born, he fell in love with you at the first glance. I had to laugh when I saw his face, because I knew I wasn't the only one in his heart any more. Don't get me wrong, he loves Philip and he loves me. But you are his special girl in a way the rest of us are not."

The girl talk continued, "Lucky for him, you are your father's daughter. You have always had the ability to get whatever you wanted from him, and you probably always will. And maybe you have a little of me in you too, since you haven't really taken advantage of his obvious weakness when you so easily could have."

"Mum, that's not right. Besides, what's there to take advantage of? I have had everything that I've ever needed … what more could I ask for?" Alexandra chuckled at the thought she could control her dad, mainly because she knew it was true, but she also knew she didn't really play that card all that often.

She continued, "It's interesting hearing you talk about Dad back then. Philip and I have had a few conversations about you two over the years. One of the things that we always joke about is how different you two are. I mean, let's face it, Mum, you're a people person and Dad's, well, Dad's just not that sociable. He's fanatically right about nearly everything, and he's a bit of a self-righteous pain about it most of the time. The fact that he is right about stuff most of the time makes it that much more annoying."

"But when it comes down to it, I trust him, and I trust you, to give us the really good advice and counsel. And I'm glad Peter and I have you two as examples of a wonderful marriage. How did you manage to stay in love all these years? It can't have been easy."

Louisa cleared her throat and responded, "It's funny. I think many people would not not have bet on us staying together, back when we finally married. Auntie Joan once called us "chalk and cheese" and she wasn't far off. What she, and the others, didn't count on was the depth of our feelings. We met relatively late in life. When we fell for each other, we fell very hard."

"Martin turned out to be a brilliant partner. I was lucky, I was attracted to someone who was the absolute salt of the earth, good at many things. He was also surprisingly generous and good natured, at least in private. Our lives together only grew better and better as we spent more time together. I suppose the price we paid in not getting together right away made us more appreciative when we finally took the plunge. "

"In public, he was less forthcoming. Although he was generous to a fault regarding anything medical for his patients or the villagers, he didn't want to be known as a soft touch. Moreover, he was quick to point out other people's faults and complicity in transmitting every disease, germ, etc.," she reminisced.

Once he and Louisa were officially together, the public's perception was that he began to improve incrementally. Or at least they made allowances for him because of her, Philip and eventually Alexandra. Seeing him with either or both of the children provided all sorts of entertainment for the villagers, since they remembered how gruff and rude he'd been in the past. But setting the example of good behavior for his children meant he had to go the extra distance to be more human. Children are a great neutralizer, it would appear.

Martin's life was never the same, once he had the permanent addition of Louisa and the children. His efficiency in treating patients increased, although his patience with their nonsense did not. As a result, the village was generally healthier than surrounding areas. Epidemics were fewer and further between, which was a good thing, mainly due to Martin's proactive management of all healthcare related issues.

What was he like as he got older? He took a lively interest in all the things his children insisted on doing. A quiet and studious boy, much like his father, Philip grew interested in the sciences and medicine. He did, however, have his mother's desire to interact with more people than Martin. He was a tall, well coordinated, good looking young man, who was sought out for various athletics teams. He ended up playing soccer for the local school, and later for the travel team in Portwenn. He had piercing blue eyes that twinkled when he smiled, much like his mother's. He mostly favored his father, but when he smiled, it was clear he was his mother's son as well. He could not have been more loved if they'd been married when he'd been conceived. He made them proud as they could be, excelling in academics as well as athletics. He was a serious student, but also loved joking quietly with his friends and family.

The bond between him and Martin delighted Louisa immensely. She had worried all during her pregnancy that Martin might disappear and not be involved in their child's life. As it turned out, her worry was unfounded. Martin was an active, involved parent. He was at times a little fussy and particular about not wanting Philip around all the other germ-infested children. But as Louisa well knew, those other children were part of their lives too. Philip enjoyed their company, and never lacked for friends among the children his age.

Martin didn't outwardly acknowledge it, but he was glad that his children were so well accepted in the village, especially since he had been such an outsider. True he had married someone at the center of the community who was actively involved in many committees and village life. When Alexandra was born, many of the villagers knew life for Martin would never be the same. They stopped calling him "tosser" to his face, because, well, he was becoming one of them.

The love story that took forever to get off the ground, the story of Martin and Louisa, mostly remained private for the two of them. Outwardly as the years passed, the village could see how happy Louisa was. She rarely complained about him to others, because she realized that as a couple, they needed to manage their issues privately. Rather early on she stopped apologizing for him at the drop of a hat … because she understood now that his motivations for nearly everything he did were mostly benevolent. He was trying to help, he was focused on good medical outcomes, he was focused on good outcomes in general. True, he would never participate in the local talent show – repairing old clocks is hardly a stage skill. And he still didn't want to go to the local dances but Louisa did. What dawned on her was that if she really wanted something, Martin would do it for her, just because she wanted it. It didn't stop his social awkwardness, or his saying the wrong thing from time to time, but his willingness to take part, and eventually to be a part, in the community meant that they got along with most of their neighbors.

In his own way, Martin remained completely devoted to and distracted by Louisa. Though they grew comfortable with each other, she could still turn his head when she walked into a room. He never outgrew one habit … even many years later, he still loved looking at her and watching her. He also liked holding her, kissing her on the back of her neck, turning her head up towards him and looking into her eyes as she smiled up at him. She knew that he had the same power over her. His soft, deep voice created intimacy between them quickly. When they would lie in bed and talk quietly, her head on his shoulder, arms round each other, she loved listening to him and how the sound of his voice turned her on. The wait for him had been worth it.

Now they were preparing to watch their daughter walk down the aisle and marry someone who appeared to be the love of her life, much the way they had been for each other. Peter Cronk, older than Alexandra by nearly 12 years, reminded Louisa so much of Martin all those years ago, that she couldn't help but love him too. To look at them, they didn't appear quite so far apart age-wise. Peter was a young looking 34 year old, and Alex possessed a maturity that belied her younger years.


	2. Chapter 2

Buffalo Pictures owns Doc Martin. In dealing with family issues recently, have begun thinking about conversations between the generations about who people are in the present, and who they've been in the past. How did we get to where we are today? Generally adheres to the canon of the series, but no idea where the next season is going; no intent to mirror anything other than what's in my head. Serious Doc Martinitis is the diagnosis … hope I get over it soon! Cheers.

Past as Prologue

Chapter 2

Philip was working with his father on a project, looking under the hood of his car. He wasn't quite in the same position as his dad incomewise, so needed to nurse his car along with as many fixes as he himself could manage, using his own labor to perform most minor repairs. Although not a mechanic, Martin appreciated his son's attention to these things, and was available to roll up his sleeves, when asked.

His son was a good looking young man, tall, very blond and quite a heartbreaker, if village gossip was to be believed. He had been a serious student in his younger days, and now that he had followed his father professionally into the medical field, he had to continue his focus on his studies.

But his visits to Portwenn and his family, from time to time, meant they had opportunities to hang out together. Martin didn't really hang out with many people, but he loved seeing his boy, and spending some time with him. He was surprised when Philip asked him about how he met his mother, and how on earth two so different people had managed to get (and stay) together for a lifetime.

"Back then, I confess, I didn't believe she could be remotely interested in me for years. Your mother was absolutely beautiful, with the most gorgeous smile and she was also the most confusing person I'd met here in Portwenn," Martin told him. He continued, "she was clearly interested in me, but I just couldn't accept it at face value. I think I once even accused her of stalking me, of mistaking her interest in me for an attraction to the fact that I was older and a doctor. I now know what rubbish that was, but at the time, I really couldn't believe someone so special could love me. Thank God she was persistent."

"Dad, why didn't you just let her catch you? Seriously, what was that about?" Philip asked. "In the end, that's exactly what happened, right?"

"Well, it was perhaps a little more complicated than that," Martin reflected. "We broke up right on our wedding day, leaving each other at the altar, so to speak. Unbeknownst to us at that time, she was already pregnant with you. She left for town immediately following the non-wedding, and I stayed in the village. When she returned five months later, pregnant and jobless, she didn't want me to think she was forcing me into taking care of her (and eventually you). She always was an independent woman."

"So what made you change your mind, Dad? How did you finally come around?" Philip asked. Philip was surprised that his father was so forthcoming about matters so personal, but glad that he was willing to share these insights with him.

"Well, when I saw the taxi crashed into the rock on the moor, I panicked. Suddenly, with blinding clarity, I realized how wrong I'd been, and maybe, we'd been. You arrived really quickly at that horrible pub, and luckily, your mother's defenses were also compromised, because she allowed me to help … with your birth, with you after she was released from the hospital, and agreed to try working things out, for all of our sakes. I will be eternally grateful that she agreed to give it a go, because once we made that decision and relaxed just a little bit around each other, things seemed to work better for us," he admitted.

"Did you always know she was the one for you?" Philip asked. "I have a reason for asking. I've been seeing someone for a while now, and while I enjoy being with her, I have to admit, it doesn't feel as intense as what I've seen with you and Mum. How do you know when you're with the one?"

"You know, your mother might be a better person to consult. I can only say that, yes, in hindsight, I knew all along she was the one I was attracted to, but I had such difficulty communicating with her, that it made every interaction with her awkward. We would start a conversation on one topic, it would morph into something else, or I would get distracted and suddenly, neither one of us knew what we were talking about. It happened repeatedly and it was one of the most confusing aspects of being with your mother. I would say, if your girlfriend has that kind of ability to distract you, she might be the one. On the other hand, maybe that's just how your mother and I interact. Neither she nor I had good examples of parents who loved each other, so we had no roadmap for what healthy, loving relationship looked like. We had to create it on our own. Believe me when I tell you, we made as many mistakes as it's possible to make and still be together, I think," Martin admitted.

"Distraction as a predictor of love. I like it, Dad," Philip said. "What are some other signs? Do you think you have to be on the same intellectual plane as your partner? Do you have to have the same values? I really want to know what you think."

Martin looked at his son, a bit flummoxed at the topic of their conversation, but secretly a little thrilled that his parenting skills had progressed over the years to the point where his boy felt comfortable consulting with him in this way. He would never in a million years have thought that he would have this kind of conversation with his son. Actually, he also wanted to share this with Louisa … he knew she would love it, and he still liked to surprise her when possible.

"Yes, I think intellectual compatibility is important, and similar personal values absolutely. You don't have to be interested in the same things, necessarily, but you each have to be interested in something and engaged in something. Again, I think your mother is probably better at assessing these types of compatibility issues and I'm sure she'd love for you to consult her," Martin told him. Louisa would be thrilled to be asked any of these things by their son. Since neither of them had met Philip's recent girlfriend, they didn't really know what to expect.

"Well, I appreciate that Dad. Maybe I will. Can you hand me that wrench?" Philip asked, and they turned back to more mundane topics.


	3. Chapter 3

Buffalo Pictures owns Doc Martin. In dealing with family issues recently, have begun thinking about conversations between the generations about who people are in the present, and who they've been in the past. How did we get to where we are today? Generally adheres to the canon of the series, but no idea where the next season is going; no intent to mirror anything other than what's in my head. Serious Doc Martinitis is the diagnosis … hope I get over it soon! Cheers.

Past as Prologue

Chapter 3

"It's funny to think that I've actually known your parents longer than either you or your brother," Peter said to Alexandra, after she repeated much of the story her mother had told her. "I was a student at Portwenn Primary when your mum was the head teacher. I thought she was great … lots of energy, very attractive, very confident … all the things my mum was not."

"Well, there aren't many people like my mum," Alexandra conceded. "Somehow she managed to reel in Dad back when I've heard he was generally known as the Tosser. Mum's never told me, but I heard someone say something once that he was a major piece of work when he first came here from London."

"Don't believe all the bad press about your dad. I always liked him. I even stayed with him one time when Mum was in hospital when she burned her arm. I sort of tricked him into it, and he was trying to pawn me off on your mother, whose main qualification was that she was a woman. Your father was hilarious … when your mum said "glad you noticed" he quickly responded "years of medical training." I stayed at her house for a while, scheming about how I could get back over to your dad's place. He was just so interesting to me, because my own dad was out of the picture at that point."

"He didn't turn me out, and in fact, in his own way, he made me welcome. You're lucky to have parents like Martin and Louisa," acknowledged Peter. "And I'm lucky they had the good sense to have you," as he took her in his arms and kissed her soundly.

Alexandra smiled at her fiancé. Peter was adorable. He founded and owned his own company, and had about 50 people working for him, at a software support services company. It seemed like an unlikely combination for a homegrown Cornishman, but Peter loved Cornwall and seemed intent on staying here.

They had met a couple of times over the years. Although he was older, he was a bit of a loner, always interested in whatever project he was working on at the time, and hadn't really dated much. When she returned to the village after her formal education, to be a teacher as her mum had been, and she had sought his help in developing programs designed to train high school and vocational students to work in local industries, such as Peter's company, there was an immediate spark between these two.

At first, he wasn't overly taken with the idea training locals to become employees at his business. As he thought about it, however, he realized that locals, with their ties to the community, having economic alternatives the kept them here, rather than headed to the big cities, was a brilliant, sustainable solution and could benefit the whole region.

So he jumped into the program enthusiastically. Seeing Alexandra was a plus he hadn't anticipated.

She invited him to local events, claiming that he really needed to see the value of the whole community and what she was trying to do with the school and education system there. But her real goal was to spend time with this quiet, intense man, who was confident about things he knew, shy around her, and, if she read it right, becoming more intrigued by her on a daily basis.

On the excuse of discussing business, or a program, or the status of the program, or ideas generally, Alexandra drew him in, intellectually, in a way he had never known. He had always been a loner, and hadn't made much time for dating. He'd always assumed that he didn't really fit in anywhere. Save for running his company pretty effectively, he was right.

But Alexandra invited him to do some fun things, under the pretense of community spirit. Peter let himself be led down that garden path, enjoying the process more than anything. Being a business owner was a singular existence. One couldn't really share how lonely it was, for fear of inadvertently sending the wrong message about the economy or how they were doing or whatever. Alexandra was a breath of fresh air … enthusiastic, charming and hot, all at once.

At first, he told himself, he was doing all this for the community. But in the end, he had to acknowledge that his main reason for doing a lot of the activities, meetings, and investments, was because Alexandra asked him to, and invited his involvement. He loved watching her and spending time with her. He was painfully aware of the difference in their ages. That fact alone kept him at arm's length for a considerable time, until Alexandra took matters into her own hands.

About six months into the project, they had driven together to a meeting in Truro. The meeting with the local education board and a couple of other business owners had gone extremely well. They both felt a sense of accomplishment and general goodwill that their project was moving forward. To celebrate, Peter took her to dinner at a decent place in town. They had a couple of drinks over the course of dinner, and their conversation seemed to flow effortlessly.

During the drive back to Portwenn, Alexandra was determined to invite him in for a nightcap. It wasn't so late, and after such a productive day, it would be nice to enjoy each other's company a little longer. Peter declined her offer at first, but Alexandra pointed out that they could begin laying the groundwork for Phase 2.

Of course, her Phase 2 and the project's Phase 2 were two completely different projects, but Peter didn't know that, until much later, that is.

As they closed her front door behind them, she turned abruptly and put her arms around him and kissed him, completely by surprise. He was so stunned that all he could do was react … and kiss her back.

"Alexandra, what are you doing?" Peter asked. "Did you have too much to drink? You know you could have anyone in the village, or for that matter, Truro, or even London. Why are you kissing me?"

"Don't pretend that you haven't thought about this, about kissing me, or seeing where we might go, Peter Cronk," she stood very close as she answered him, smiling and looking straight into his eyes. "I've caught you staring at me on numerous occasions, and you've gone along with this program … probably just because I've asked you to. It hasn't gone unnoticed …"

Peter returned her smile, and drew her even closer. "Well, you may be right about my motives, but I don't want to take advantage of you, nor engender a sense of obligation to me. Your program stands on its own merits and I've been persuaded by your arguments and the economic necessity of growing our own local resources to serve in local industries, even those industries which are no longer based on either the sea or tourism."

His discourse began to wander, as she kissed his neck and jawline, and began to rub her hands up his chest and around behind him, pulling him closer to her. He closed his eyes and succumbed to her ministrations … and suddenly jumped back. "Wait a minute," he said abruptly. "Are you sure you want this?"

"I can't think of anything I've ever wanted more, Peter," she affirmed as she moved in, her lips claiming his own. And they were done talking for a while.

Later when they were lying in bed, after making love, they both knew that this was not a casual romance. She'd had her share of schoolgirl romances in college, and had even gone on a few dates in the village in the past year. But her attraction to Peter was deeper seated and more intense than anything she could remember with anyone else.

Maybe her father was right. Maybe pheromones were to blame. Because what she felt for Peter, and what he obviously felt for her, transcended anything either one had yet experienced. It was physical and emotional, and even though they had just begun to cross the line into a new phase of their relationship, it was apparent, even to them, that this was something special.

Her dad had always maintained that part of the success of his and Louisa's marriage was due to chemistry, something over which they had no control. He said it was pheromones, her mother called it "being in love." Whatever. Alexandra knew that when it struck, it struck with a vengeance, and who was she to fight nature?

"What else do you remember about Mum and Dad before we came along?" asked Alexandra.

"Well, their voices often rose, when they were talking at the school or whatever," said Peter. "I distinctly remember being really cheeky, and asking your mum if she loved him before they were even a couple. I can't believe I did that, and yet, she responded first and then told me to mind my own business. It was pretty funny."

"Your mum was cool even then, now that I think back on it," Peter said as he kissed Alexandra on the nose. "Her daughter inherited many of her good qualities, it would appear."

"Let's go somewhere private where you can enumerate those qualities. I feel the need to hear a list," said Alexandra as she grabbed his hand and pulled him along.


	4. Chapter 4

Buffalo Pictures owns Doc Martin. In dealing with family issues recently, have begun thinking about conversations between the generations about who people are in the present, and who they've been in the past. How did we get to where we are today? Generally adheres to the canon of the series, but no idea where the next season is going; no intent to mirror anything other than what's in my head. Serious Doc Martinitis is the diagnosis … hope I get over it soon! Cheers.

Past as Prologue

Chapter 4

Peter's own mother had always been a hard worker, focused on raising him and seeing him successfully off on his own. Once he launched his own business, she went to work for him helping with the books on a part time basis. He set it up so she could do a lot of the work from home and take advantage of the fact that he was so successful. But other than the work, he didn't really spend a ton of time with her, other than Sunday dinner once a week.

In fact, Peter would also, from time to time, consulted with Martin as a stand in for his completely absent father. They weren't exactly friends in the traditional sense, but they did enjoy occasional conversations about a wide variety of topics. Of course, Martin had saved Peter's life when he ruptured his spleen in PE, so he had many reasons to respect and appreciate Martin. Once the nexus of their relationship became Martin's daughter, Martin realized that although Peter was a bit older than Alexandra, they were really quite satisfactory together. In him, Martin saw a younger version of himself, sort of. He could see that Peter was quite smitten with Alexandra, and vice versa. He also recognized that Alexandra would benefit by having a husband who was grounded and thoughtful.

But Martin was also a little jealous, irrationally, that he would no longer be the main man in his daughter's life. Louisa cautioned him not to be short with Peter, that Peter had Alexandra's interests at heart in everything that he did, and that he would be a great son-in-law.

He took Peter for a walk one evening, to have a man-to-man chat. They walked along the cliffs, looking out to sea, neither one saying anything. Honestly, a conversation between these two was a lot like silence to most normal, hearing people. Peter finally broke the ice, saying "Martin, I want you to know, you know I love your daughter, and I'll take care of her to the best of my ability. Hopefully, that will be enough. She's been spoiled by having you as her father, because you are such a great dad."

"What are you talking about?" Martin asked. "When we had her, I was still learning how to be a father to Philip, never mind a husband to Louisa. It's a miracle we survived because I can assure you, we struggled at first."

"Well, all I can say is, the example that you and Louisa have provided for them and for me has been a pretty good one. You two have weathered some tough times, and you've also come out the other end, still talking to each other, reasonably healthy, and, from what I can see, still in love with each other. I can only hope we'll be half as successful. I do know she makes me happy, and oddly enough, she says I do the same for her," confessed Peter.

"Then I think you're onto something. I was really lucky that Louisa gave me a second chance when we'd blown it so spectacularly only months before. I've tried not to look back, and for the most part, I've been successful in that regard. But every once in a while, I remember those dark days when we managed to drive an impossible wedge between us. Peter, if I can give you any advice, I would offer this: don't let small misunderstandings grow into big misunderstandings." With that, Martin stopped and looked at the younger man who was going to marry his beloved Alexandra.

"Oh, and another thing. It might be a good idea to talk about some of the bigger marital issues well in advance of actually marrying – things like do you want a family, if so, how many children, how will you raise them, etc. Don't make assumptions about each other," Martin lectured. He remembered how he and Louisa could make a mountain out of a molehill in an instant. All of a sudden, it seemed that neither was speaking English, let alone communicating coherently. The good news, after they married, was that those occasions occurred much less frequently. Those few times when things escalated between them into actual fights, they also offered opportunities for them to make up after (minor) rowing. Martin had learned that make up sessions could be quite pleasurable. But that was not something he was prepared to share with Peter. He could learn that on his own.

It was like watching a old movie that you had seen a long time ago, thinking back to the early days of his and Louisa's marriage. It hadn't been easy, agreeing to live together and raise their son when they were so different. The common cause of raising Philip, and later deciding to have Alexandra, did make them into a team, however. In their dealings with the villagers, they were surprised to learn that they had as many similar opinions about the village, as they had different ones. Their core values were remarkably aligned; it was their approaches to dealing with people that provided the greatest source of tension. Once they kind of worked that out, life got a lot easier.

Martin began to understand that Louisa's way of dealing with the people," rather than bodies," as she had once termed it, was extraordinary. She was bound to those people by purpose and by genuine warmth. She accurately observed that no one acted on the villagers' behalf with greater care than Martin, even when he was being frustratingly opaque in hiding his motivations. In fact, his goodwill was demonstrated through his actions, not his words.

Over time, as people began to think of them as a unit, they accepted that Martin was the practical side of Louisa, and that she was the heart of Martin. The villagers made allowances for the two of them, simply because they were together. Even though they seemed a bit of the odd couple, they stood up for each other, backed each other's causes, and showed up for each other's events. Martin, who had never had anyone be wholly committed and on his side before began to appreciate how valuable it was to have Louisa in his corner. Louisa was beloved in the village, and Martin naturally benefitted from being in her orbit.

Neither had Louisa ever had the luxury of living with someone as dependable as Martin. Just knowing he would be there every night, helping with the children, preparing dinner, assisting around the house, offering advice and counsel, or even just holding her when she needed some reassurance, made Louisa relax and enjoy their lives together so much more.

The fact that their children had turned out to be bright, energetic and well adjusted proved that their own abysmal upbringings did not have to be the final determinant in how they themselves turned out.


	5. Chapter 5

Buffalo Pictures owns Doc Martin. In dealing with family issues recently, have begun thinking about conversations between the generations about who people are in the present, and who they've been in the past. How did we get to where we are today? Generally adheres to the canon of the series, but no idea where the next season is going; no intent to mirror anything other than what's in my head.

Past as Prologue

Chapter 5

Alexandra had inherited her mother's stunning beauty along with her father's laser focus. Now that she had gotten Peter nearly to the altar, it was time to start thinking about what else she (they) wanted from life. She was looking forward to having children, lots of children. Peter wasn't completely sure he was ready for fatherhood, but Alexandra was determined.

She wanted Louisa's advice. "Mum, did you ever want more kids than just Philip and me?" she asked.

"I had originally wanted more children, but when you start having them at 37, it's not exactly optimum family planning to think you can have a large family with aging parents. Plus your father wasn't exactly keen on having more children. I'm just glad he agreed for us to try for you," Louisa conceded.

She continued, "I will say, when he first saw you, when you were born, he had the most peculiar expression on his face … I knew then and there that I was not the only female in my husband's life. We did not find out whether we were having a boy or girl beforehand, and I guess we both kind of thought that we were having another boy. Your dad really tried awfully hard to learn how to be a father to his Philip, doing all kinds of things that didn't come naturally to him. We thought he was going to be able to do an even better job with a second boy. And then, there you were, and the only thing I could think was: he's in trouble now, you're going to wrap him around your finger, his life will never be the same," Louisa laughed as she admitted that truth. "You could have asked him for anything over the years and he would have given it to you. He loves Philip, but he's still smitten with you. I think he's even a little jealous of Peter."

Alexandra was touched by her mother's words. She knew that her mother was right … she could have asked for anything, and her dad would do his level best to provide it. She and Philip really were lucky to have had such wonderful, reliable and loving parents.

"Let me ask you another question – and I know it's awkward but here goes: How did you keep Dad interested in you all these years? Do you have any advice in that department?" Alexandra enjoyed trying to understand the secret of her parents' successful marriage.

"Well, I don't really know how to answer that one. Because your dad and I took forever to get together, I think when we finally made it stick, we were grateful in a way that we hadn't been before," Louisa said. "It wasn't for lack of love, or even interest. It was more like we each kept trying to keep control or something. We didn't know then that marriage is about completely surrendering yourself to the other person, trusting that they'll never act in anything but your best interests. I knew myself, and once I had had a taste of being with Martin, I didn't want anyone else. In keeping with his theories about why people are attracted to each other, I think he would say his pheromones are attracted to my pheromones, and vice versa. They've never stopped being attracted to them, so I don't know what else to tell you. I think you and Peter seem to have that same chemical attraction from everything I can see, so I think you'll be ok," Louisa said.

"Actually, that puts me in mind of something else. I think it was easy to keep Martin's interest for another simple reason: I was extremely independent and headstrong in those days, and in a way, it kept him off balance. Although I might have appeared so to other people, to Martin I was incredibly unpredictable," she explained. "In fact, he once told me he rarely understood anything I was saying. At the time, I felt exactly the same way about him. So I guess my advice is: keep a little mystery going, don't be predictable and then, have some fun and just a touch of patience with those things," Louisa advised.

Alexandra smiled at those insights. They might put fancy labels on everything: mystery, pheromones, independence … but when it came down to it, she thought they were still in love after all these years and maybe they had mellowed and become a little more patient with each other, but otherwise, they still operated on love auto-pilot. It was endearing to hear it directly from her mother though.


End file.
